Updated 26 May, 2012, 4:18 pm IST

Broadband Internet Goes Mobile

17 Nov, 2006, 4:00 pm IST | by Sharon Khare |

Hutchison Whampoa Limited has announced the global launch of the X-Series from 3. The X-Series from 3 marks the beginning of the Internet via mobile broadband, and heralds a new way of doing business for mobile network operators. It will extend several of the core applications and uses of the broadband internet to the mobile handset, with a new pricing model.

The X-Series from 3 will be supported by the leading internet companies, cutting-edge handsets from the world's leading mobile manufacturers and premium customer service.

Customers will be able to make unlimited calls from their mobile using Skype, watch their home television via their mobile using Sling, access their home PC remotely using Orb and have access to the best of Internet and messaging services from Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger and Google.

The X-Series from 3 will be priced like fixed line broadband. It will offer use of mobile internet services free at the time of use, for a flat fee. The X-Series from 3 will be available in the UK from the 1st December 2006 and in 3's other markets around the world in early 2007. Each 3 company will provide further details as they launch X-Series in their markets.

Canning Fok, group managing director of Hutchison Whampoa, said, "This is the internet as it was meant to be and what people have been waiting for. Mobile broadband is the natural next step for mobile services, extending the full power of the internet to mobile handsets. By partnering with the leaders of the internet and the leading handset makers, the X-Series from 3 will give everyone access to more of what they want, when they want it, and however much of it they want, all free when they use it."

3 Group announced global partnerships with major internet brands Sling Media, Orb and Google. These partnerships build on global agreements announced earlier this year with Skype, Microsoft and Yahoo!

X-Series customers will be charged flat access fees for X-Series mobile broadband services on top of their basic subscription. The access fees will include all you can Skype, all you can chat by instant text message and all you can search and browse. There will initially be an additional access fee for customers who also take higher-bandwidth services like Sling and Orb. Just like the fixed line internet, all X-Series services will be free at the point of use, subject only to fair usage limits.

Tags: Broadband , Internet , Mobile , 3G , Microsoft , Skype , Google , Sling , ORB , Hutchison Whampoa

Visual entertainment used to be a simple choice of two screens. For one, you sat down on the couch and watched your favorite shows during their scheduled broadcast.